Rupert Murdoch Attacked in Parliament (literally) July 19, 2011

Wasn’t watching it, but the Guardian is reporting someone struck Murdoch (or sprayed shaving foam on him), before being slapped by Murdoch’s wife and scooped by the cops. Thus ended the meeting ended it seems. No press or no public allowed when it reconvenes, and unsure if tv cameras will be allowed in. Thus the debate shifts to this and away from the issues. Supposedly a comedian called Johnnie Marbles.

I saw an action replay (as it used to be called). He walked up to him basically with a bowl of shaving foam or something similar and throw it round Murdoch. The wife bounced up and slapped him before he moved out of shot and they stopped the coverage.

If one were cynical, you might suggest the guy was doing Rupert a favour. Questions continuing, prefaced by extremely obsequious comments from chair and Tory MP.

The pie-throwing incident was metatheatre at its finest. Distraction heaps upon distraction as the inquiry gives people a sense of judicial process while in fact it’s a Beckettian roundabout of nothingness. Brooks’ arrest (without charge) excuses her from giving any substantial testimony; the aged Murdoch gets unwarranted sympathy; resignations at the Met distract from the ‘endemic’ corruption there… Meanwhile, where is Nick Clegg? What does HE know that has prevented him from speaking up? But maybe I’ve just bought into another conspiracy theory. Speaking of which: did News International have offices in Tower 7?